Abstract: An enzyme protein that allows production of an optically active ?-hydroxyamino acid, specifically a monooxygenase having two kinds of hetero (different) subunits. Also, systems and methods using the monooxygenases.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes applying allantoin to a plant; exposing the plant to a temperature of about 30° C. or more for at least about 60 minutes; and growing the plant in a cultivation medium.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes: applying allantoin to a grapevine; and growing the grapevine in a cultivation medium. Applying the allantoin may be performed at a veraison stage of the grapevine. Allantoin may be applied to a part of the grapevine that is above the cultivation medium at a dose of about 0.05 to 5 g per grapevine, and may be applied by spraying the allantoin on leaves or fruits of the grapevine at a dose of about 0.05 to 5 g per grapevine. The grapevine may be grown at a density of about 1,500 to 10,000 per hectare, and about 0.1 to 13 g/m2 of the allantoin may be applied.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes applying allantoin to a plant; exposing the plant to a temperature of about 30° C. or more for at least about 60 minutes; and growing the plant in a cultivation medium.

Abstract: The present invention has its object to provide a novel polypeptide having amidase activity to selectively hydrolyze S-enantiomer in racemic nipecotamide, a DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector containing the DNA, a transformant transformed with the vector, and a method for producing an optically active carboxylic acid amide and an optically active carboxylic acid in which a racemic carboxylic acid amide is hydrolyzed with the polypeptide or the transformant.

Abstract: The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for producing glutathione and a precursor thereof, ?-glutamylcysteine, at a high yield. As a means for solving the problem, the method for producing glutathione according to the present invention includes step A? of reacting L-cysteine and L-glutamic acid under a low-oxygen atmosphere to produce ?-glutamylcysteine and step B? of reacting ?-glutamylcysteine and glycine under a low-oxygen atmosphere to produce glutathione.

Abstract: The technical problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a method for producing oxidized glutathione, GSSG and a precursor thereof, i.e., oxidized ?-glutamylcysteine, by a simple process. As a means for solving the problem, the method for producing GSSG according to the present invention comprises step A? of reacting L-cystine and L-glutamic acid to produce oxidized ?-glutamylcysteine and step B? of reacting oxidized ?-glutamylcysteine and glycine to produce GSSG.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a means for producing an optically active tropic acid that is a compound useful as a synthetic raw material or an intermediate for pharmaceutical products and the like. The present invention provides a novel polypeptide having activity to (R)-selectively hydrolyze a racemic tropic acid amide, DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector containing the DNA, a transformant prepared by transformation with the vector, and a method for producing an optically active carboxylic acid amide and an optically active carboxylic acid using them.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing an L-amino acid by reacting an enantiomeric mixture of an N-succinyl amino acid with L-succinylase in the presence of N-acylamino acid racemase to specifically hydrolyze the L-form. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for producing an L-amino acid in high yield by using an N-succinyl amino acid whose dissolved concentration is particularly low as a raw material to perform a reaction while precipitating the produced L-amino acid out of the reaction system. The present invention enables efficient production of an L-amino acid having high optical purity, particularly an L-amino acid useful as a raw material for products such as pharmaceutical products and agricultural chemicals.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for converting the coenzyme dependency of enzymes of the medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (MDR) family. A further object of the present invention is to provide enzyme variants of the MDR family whose coenzyme dependency is converted by the conversion method and a method for enzymatically producing optically active alcohols using the enzymes. The present inventors developed a novel enzyme conversion method for converting the coenzyme dependency of enzymes of the MDR family, rationally designed enzyme variants that are altered by the enzyme conversion method to be able to use NADPH as a coenzyme from a useful enzyme of the MDR family that uses NADH as a coenzyme, and actually provide variants having such an ability.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing an optically active 3-aminopiperidine or salt thereof. In the method, a racemic nipecotamide is stereoselectively hydrolyzed to obtain an optically active nipecotamide and an optically active nipecotic acid in the presence of an enzyme source derived from an organism, and then the optically active nipecotamide is derived into an optically active aminopiperidine or salt thereof by aroylation, Hofmann rearrangement, deprotection of the amino group and further deprotection; or the optically active nipecotamide is derived into an optically active aminopiperidine or salt thereof by selective protection with BOC, Hofmann rearrangement and further deprotection. It is possible by the present invention to produce an optically active 3-aminopiperidine or salt thereof useful as a pharmaceutical intermediate from an inexpensive and easily available starting material by easy method applicable to industrial manufacturing.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a means for producing an optically active tropic acid that is a compound useful as a synthetic raw material or an intermediate for pharmaceutical products and the like. The present invention provides a novel polypeptide having activity to (R)-selectively hydrolyze a racemic tropic acid amide, DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector containing the DNA, a transformant prepared by transformation with the vector, and a method for producing an optically active carboxylic acid amide and an optically active carboxylic acid using them.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for converting the coenzyme dependency of enzymes of the medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (MDR) family. A further object of the present invention is to provide enzyme variants of the MDR family whose coenzyme dependency is converted by the conversion method and a method for enzymatically producing optically active alcohols using the enzymes. The present inventors developed a novel enzyme conversion method for converting the coenzyme dependency of enzymes of the MDR family, rationally designed enzyme variants that are altered by the enzyme conversion method to be able to use NADPH as a coenzyme from a useful enzyme of the MDR family that uses NADH as a coenzyme, and actually provide variants having such an ability.

Abstract: The present invention has its object to provide a novel polypeptide having amidase activity to selectively hydrolyze S-enantiomer in racemic nipecotamide, a DNA encoding the polypeptide, a vector containing the DNA, a transformant transformed with the vector, and a method for producing an optically active carboxylic acid amide and an optically active carboxylic acid in which a racemic carboxylic acid amide is hydrolyzed with the polypeptide or the transformant.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing an optically active 3-aminopiperidine or salt thereof. In the method, a racemic nipecotamide is stereoselectively hydrolyzed to obtain an optically active nipecotamide and an optically active nipecotic acid in the presence of an enzyme source derived from an organism, and then the optically active nipecotamide is derived into an optically active aminopiperidine or salt thereof by aroylation, Hofmann rearrangement, deprotection of the amino group and further deprotection; or the optically active nipecotamide is derived into an optically active aminopiperidine or salt thereof by selective protection with BOC, Hofmann rearrangement and further deprotection. It is possible by the present invention to produce an optically active 3-aminopiperidine or salt thereof useful as a pharmaceutical intermediate from an inexpensive and easily available starting material by easy method applicable to industrial manufacturing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing an L-amino acid by reacting an enantiomeric mixture of an N-succinyl amino acid with L-succinylase in the presence of N-acylamino acid racemase to specifically hydrolyze the L-form. In particular, the present invention relates to a method for producing an L-amino acid in high yield by using an N-succinyl amino acid whose dissolved concentration is particularly low as a raw material to perform a reaction while precipitating the produced L-amino acid out of the reaction system. The present invention enables efficient production of an L-amino acid having high optical purity, particularly an L-amino acid useful as a raw material for products such as pharmaceutical products and agricultural chemicals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for producing an optically active 3-aminopiperidine or salt thereof. In the method, a racemic nipecotamide is stereoselectively hydrolyzed to obtain an optically active nipecotamide and an optically active nipecotic acid in the presence of an enzyme source derived from an organism, and then the optically active nipecotamide is derived into an optically active aminopiperidine or salt thereof by aroylation, Hofmann rearrangement, deprotection of the amino group and further deprotection; or the optically active nipecotamide is derived into an optically active aminopiperidine or salt thereof by selective protection with BOC, Hofmann rearrangement and further deprotection. It is possible by the present invention to produce an optically active 3-aminopiperidine or salt thereof useful as a pharmaceutical intermediate from an inexpensive and easily available starting material by easy method applicable to industrial manufacturing.